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Diamond Services comes back to Cummins

Yard News // May 8, 2000

Diamond Services Corporation has revealed details of two new 170ft x 30ft crew boats it has under construction at Swift Ships in Morgan City.

Diamond Services, a subsidiary of the Carline Corporation, is becoming well established as an operator of the new generation large crew boats. The company launched the first of this new class, the Paula Kay, in May of 1997, equipping her with four Cummins KTA38-M1 main engines with a rating of 1000hp each.

The engines drive Hamilton HM571 water jets to give the boat a light speed of 29kt or 28kt with 64 passengers, crew, ship's fuel, water and a 30 ton deck cargo.

In a subsequent boat, the 185-foot Kristin Grace, the firm tried another manufacturer's engines, but returned to Cummins for the currently building 170-footers.

"We have a lot of hours on the Paula Kay's KTA38-M1 engines," says Diamond Services Mike Swiber, "and we like the service and support that we have had."

For the latest boats, the company chosen four of the newer KTA38-M2 model V-12 Cummins engines that deliver 1,350hp each through ZF BW255 gears.

At 1000hp, Paula Kay's engines were at the upper limits of the HM571 Hamilton jet's horsepower ratings. For the new boat, however, the more powerful engines are being linked to Kamewa A-56 jets.